Cape Town danger areas

[Bernard Horn]

I would like to appeal to ladies riding ALONE on the cycle track between Lower Church st and CT Civic Centre to be very careful.Rather link up with another rider/'s.Saw 2 ladies  riding alone yesterday.

[mikkelz]

Avoid the bicycle lane between Paarden Eiland and Woodstock:

 

https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/145936-bike-jacking-cpt-cycle-lane-sunday-14-december/

[mikkelz]

Don't ride alone or too early along the stretch between Cape Point (Smitswinkel) and Red Hill: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=764405653608178&id=183267821721967

 

1 hour ago: a female cyclist was hijacked on the Cape Point road. 2 coloured males in a white (new shape) Audi station wagon took the bike & valuables and drove off up the Red Hill road.

This is not the first hijacking on stretch of road between Smitswinkel and Red Hill, so please don't ride there alone.
This is especially important information for out of town visitors. There have also been recent reports of cyclists being stoned while riding past the Red Hill informal settlement.
This area is remote and infrequently patrolled by SAPS. 
Most hijackings occurred early in the morning, so consider starting your ride later.

Edited December 19, 2014 by mikkelz

[Selous Scout (aka LegTrap)]

We will be in Melbosstrand from the 27th December and hoping to ride from there on the cycle path into town and then on to Camps Bay etc.My question is how safe is it to ride on the cycle path as I have seen a few comments re muggings along there.

[Greybeard]

We will be in Melbosstrand from the 27th December and hoping to ride from there on the cycle path into town and then on to Camps Bay etc.My question is how safe is it to ride on the cycle path as I have seen a few comments re muggings along there.

If you are riding alone it would be better to go into marine drive at Paarden Eiland and ride in to Heerengracht on a short section of what was the N1 where you can branch off into the city route through the Waterfront and on to Camps Bay via Sea Point. During the period you are planning to ride the highway section should be quiet.

[bj horn]

Just link up with some of the other riders going through there.Safety in numbers

[Tubehunter]

We will be in Melbosstrand from the 27th December and hoping to ride from there on the cycle path into town and then on to Camps Bay etc.My question is how safe is it to ride on the cycle path as I have seen a few comments re muggings along there.

 

To echo what has been said, the cycle path is fine from Tableview all the way through to Paarden Eiland. Where it turns left at Steven Johnson Cars is usually where I divert along the service road that runs along Marine Drive. I ride on this to the end of the the service road which brings you alongside a large Caltex Garage. Hop on and off the pavement and then ride in the emergency lane up onto the N1 and keep on the left of the N1 as you ride into town in Heerengracht. It's the safest route. If you're uncomfortable traversing the Woodstock offramp to stay on the N1 you can go left off with this. Cross the road when it's safe and then simply ride back down the offramp on the other side and stay in the wide verge on the left down onto the N1 for the roughly 800 metres to town.

 

If you catch up with a group of people along the cycle lane then take that with them into town. As mentioned safety in numbers. All the attacks have been on single or double riders (mostly couples when 2 cyclists) going through on their own.

 

Coming back you have the option of waiting for others riders cruising back with you or you need to ride through from the N1 interchange at Heerengracht if you're solo. Again the verge is very wide and you should be fine to get through to the Marine Drive offramp. It's a little tricky getting across the Woodstock offramp and where the onramp merges with the N1 and shortly after this bridge there's a 100m piece where the yellow lane is not much more than 20cms wide but traffic is really slow along here from the way the Woodstock onramp merges from a near standstill so you should be fine and then the emergency lane opens as you sweep off the highway and you head through Paarden Eiland along this, linking up with the cycle lane opposite Steven Johnson Cars again..

[kandui]

A Cyclist was hijacked in the Cape Point area this morning, probably around 7am.

She said it happened close to the Cape Point Ostrich farm, but also said she saw the car head off up Red Hill. Therefore I think the attack happened closer to the Red Hill Y-Junction.

2 coloured males (her description, not mine) in a new shape, white Audi Station Wagon robbed her of her bike and phone.

She called into Cape Talk this morning, that's how I heard about this.

Already posted on my Facebook and Twitter page.

 

The road from Smitswinkel to Scarborough is not safe!

The out of town guys need to know this. Especially early in the morning is when most attacks have occurred. There have been about 5 this year? Speaking under correction.

 

There was even an incident on the Red Hill road where cyclists were stoned riding past the informal settlement.

 

Don't ride alone and try and get to this area a little later, if you can. When the tourists are on the road to Cape Point it should be safer to ride there.

 

Be vigilant and keep a lookout behind you and for vehicles parked on the side of the road. As you can see from the incident this morning, it's not necessarily and old clapped out vehicle that you need to look out for. Stealing bikes is clearly a lucrative pastime for some!

 

By the way. The Table Mountain tracks are safe with no incidents reported off the tar roads for well over a year now.

Lots of snake sightings in Tokai, so be careful.

We expect the usual spike in crime over the festive period, so be extra vigilant wherever you ride your bike.

Consider downloading the free MySOS App to use in case of any emergency. Saves you having to find numbers to call as the App gives you the relevant numbers based on your location (in the country).

 

Stay safe and Happy Holidays.

[Blackbeard]

 

A heads up to cyclists using MAIN ROAD, HOUT BAY.

 

I received a notification this morning from the Hout Bay Neighbourhood Watch.

 

On Sunday 11 Jan at 11:00 a cyclist was robbed of his bike, cell phone and garmin by seven knife wielding youths (about 20 years old). The incident occurred near DARG opposite the informal settlement.

 

The attackers tried to stab the cyclist as some of them were recognised.

 

The notice said that the bike and garmin have been recovered, but nothing is said as to whether or not the perpetrators have been apprehended.

 

There is a lot of traffic at that time of the day.

[mikkelz]

[KarlvN]

A Cyclist was hijacked in the Cape Point area this morning, probably around 7am.

She said it happened close to the Cape Point Ostrich farm, but also said she saw the car head off up Red Hill. Therefore I think the attack happened closer to the Red Hill Y-Junction.

2 coloured males (her description, not mine) in a new shape, white Audi Station Wagon robbed her of her bike and phone.

She called into Cape Talk this morning, that's how I heard about this.

Already posted on my Facebook and Twitter page.

 

The road from Smitswinkel to Scarborough is not safe!

The out of town guys need to know this. Especially early in the morning is when most attacks have occurred. There have been about 5 this year? Speaking under correction.

 

There was even an incident on the Red Hill road where cyclists were stoned riding past the informal settlement.

 

Don't ride alone and try and get to this area a little later, if you can. When the tourists are on the road to Cape Point it should be safer to ride there.

 

Be vigilant and keep a lookout behind you and for vehicles parked on the side of the road. As you can see from the incident this morning, it's not necessarily and old clapped out vehicle that you need to look out for. Stealing bikes is clearly a lucrative pastime for some!

 

By the way. The Table Mountain tracks are safe with no incidents reported off the tar roads for well over a year now.

Lots of snake sightings in Tokai, so be careful.

We expect the usual spike in crime over the festive period, so be extra vigilant wherever you ride your bike.

Consider downloading the free MySOS App to use in case of any emergency. Saves you having to find numbers to call as the App gives you the relevant numbers based on your location (in the country).

 

Stay safe and Happy Holidays.

 

I am pretty certain I remember someone reporting a bike jacking late last year in the same vicinity, also involving some ruffians from the local "village" in a white audi? Seems like a sindicate is operating in the area???

[kandui]

definitely an area being targeted by criminals.

[mikkelz]

Constantia Nek: https://twitter.com/TableMntnWatch/status/558199374959087616

 

Cyclist mugged 15 min ago. Top of Constantia Nek - jeep track twrds back table dams. 4 assailants, pangas. White bicycle.

Edited January 22, 2015 by mikkelz

[marxie]

Got this report from our neighbourhood watch re. attempted bikejacking in Rondebosch, early Sunday morning:

 

Date: 01 Feb 2015 04:00
Location: OUT OF PATROL AREA (SECTION Z - OUT OF AREA)

This happened to my brother-in-law outside of our area, in the Rondebosch area, but is still worth mentioning as we have had similar incidents in our own area and the description of the suspects vehicle may be usefull. He was cycling along the M5 towards Muizenberg at around 4am on Sunday morning (I know!) when he noticed a vehicle driving very slowly behind him. He took the Klipfontein Rd turn off into Rondebosch & cycled along next to the Rondebosch Common & the vehicle continued on behind him. The vehicle then pulled up alongside him. It was a brand spanking new Jeep Cherokee, white in colour with dark, tinted windows. the windows rolled down & he saw at least 3 x young, charlie males, well dressed, inside the vehicle. At first they cheered him on with thumbs up & said "howzit bru" etc. & so he thought it was just a bunch of "guys" playing the fool on the way home from a night out. But then they told him to drop his bike & run. He ignored them, they swerved towards him & as they did so he slammed his brakes, spun his bike around & bolted straight over the centre island & headed towards Rondebosch Main Rd. They eventually caught up to him again & continued to try and  get him to surrender but thankfully he is quite a talented mountain biker / bmx trickster / adrenalin junkie (he does the "Red Bull" downhill extreme) so he somehow managed to duck & dive & eventually give them the slip. What is this world coming to when a man who doesn't own a car almost has his only means of transport swiped by a bunch of youngsters in a R500-600K Jeep Cherokee. Probably stolen anyway!    

Regards, 
Plumstead Neighbourhood Watch

[DuncanCT]

Does this not fall under the PPA mandate of keeping cyclist safe? I can't imagine it would be too hard to put up CCTV cameras at certain places around Cape Point to at least track number plates.

[Wannabe]

HUH??

 

Now PPA must play Policeman to protect each and every cyclist all hours of the day!?

Think this is a LAW ENFORCEMENT issue, way out of PPA's jurisdiction.